Happily, I don’t know much about this period of history, so I read unencumbered by how much license Gregory might have taken, or not, with historical facts. Moreover, I understand few historians have researched Jacquetta, so this was an opportunity to create exciting fiction around real historical events. Sadly for me, because I am a Philippa Gregory fan, this book lacked the excitement I expected.

The novel begins in France with the capture and immolation of Joan of Arc, whom Jacquetta has befriended while Joan awaits sentencing. Joan is used to introduce the gift of Sight and scrying talents Jacquetta inherited from her water-goddess ancestor Melusina, and serves as a warning that no good comes to those who hear voices or see into the future.

In Gregory’s first novel in the trilogy, “The White Queen” she introduced Melusina, the water goddess, much to my annoyance because I just did not see the need for it and I felt it took away from the plot, even though both the Jacquetta and her daughter Elizabeth (the White Queen) are supposedly descended from said mythical woman. In “The Lady of the Rivers” I made peace with Melusina and her mystical water goddess powers—only because I decided Jacquetta’s superstitions and beliefs were reasonable in context of the 15th Century. But just as I got comfortable and acclimated to it, Jacquetta became uncomfortable with her gift and this discomfort somehow made the gift, the witchcraft, the alchemy–all things I’d love to read more about–less compelling.

Jacquetta’s marriage to the Duke of Bedford, uncle to King Henry VI, brings her to the England. Upon the Duke’s death, she marries for love, to his squire Richard Woodville. They spend much of the book apart with Richard engaged in defense of Lancaster in Calais. He comes home from war, she gets pregnant, he leaves…comes home when baby is born, gets her pregnant again…in sum, once they marry, the entire relationship loses its dramatic tension and this great love that she married “beneath her station” for feels matter-of-fact.

This period of history is full of rebellion, lies, betrayals and good old-fashioned skullduggery, to which Jacquetta bears witness as the BFF of Henry VI’s increasingly war-hungry wife, Margaret of Anjou. Jacquetta trails Margaret up and down England as the two factions – York and Lancaster – square off, primarily at Margaret’s instigation. Margaret is driven by love of the Beauforts and especially Edmund Beaufort—and schemes right down to foisting her lover’s child on Henry VI as his heir, or so the book implies. I’m not sure why it merely implies, but there you have it. Anyway, Jacquetta was not horrified enough for me.

I did not fully buy into the friendship between the two women. Jacquetta was loyal, but I did not feel she held real affection for Margaret until Jacquetta said so at the end of the novel. Margaret, on the other hand, definitely thought she had a friend.

In fact, I understood Margaret of Anjou better than I did Jacquetta. Margaret’s character arc is much more pronounced – you see her transition from a simple bride to a hard-headed, unyielding ruler who in refusing to include the Yorkist faction in governing the realm, loses it altogether and plunges England into wars lasting two generations. Margaret was fierce, decisive, and honest in her loves and hates. Jacquetta was a woman in love and standing by her family in the beginning of the novel and in the end – she did not evolve much.

I’ve read nearly everything Philippa Gregory has written—and have ten of her novels on my bookshelf as I write. I did not care for the Wideacre Trilogy recurring incest theme. I loved the “The Other Boleyn Girl,” “The Queen’s Fool”, “The Boleyn Inheritance” and “The Constant Princess” yet have been so-so about everything since “The Other Queen.” As I think about why, it is likely because the Tudor novels were a fresh take on well-known historical figures—interesting perspectives, plausible plot lines, even if historically inaccurate. The “Cousins War” series goes into less charted territory, but is more straightforward with it. I like my Gregory novels with a bit more of the unexpected, which I hope I’ll see when I buy the 11th one. Philippa I have not given up on you!

Hi Debbie – I love Antonia’s Fraser’s book on MQS — I have had a copy since 1973 (was 11!) and finally bought a new edition last year. I’m very much a fan of Alison Weir’s book about MQS and the murder of Lord Darnley, and of John Guy’s book about Mary. I have not (yet) read Retha Warnicke but it’s on my Kindle.

I do like Philippa Gregory, especially when she navigates the grey areas of history with lesser known figures — like Mary Boleyn. I also have the Kingmaker’s Daughter on my Kindle, hoping for some quiet time (what’s that?) over Thanksgiving.